Catch a Falling Star
by Minmiomaya
Summary: Nonnatus House reacts to Shelagh and Patrick's engagement.


"Engaged?"

Seven shocked faces looked up at them from the sitting room sofas. Complete silence followed. Shelagh's eyes were drawn to the floor by her feet where she'd apparently found something interesting. Patrick looked round the room, his eyes willing someone to speak, but all he met was shock and silence. They should have waited. Their friends weren't ready.

"Yes! Shelagh is going to be my new mum!"

"Timothy!" However grateful Patrick was to his son for breaking the silence, for accepting and loving Shelagh, he could not have chosen a more inappropriate thing to say. "What? It's true, isn't it?" Timothy's eyes searched Shelagh's, looking for approval, and found them as she smiled a shy smile and nodded carefully. Timothy took a quick step towards her and put his arms around her waist. "Will you be around more than my dad?", he said into her shoulder. "He's never around".

Shelagh laughed timidly and hugged the boy tightly, hiding her face in his hair. Sister Julienne was the first to recover. She could see it now and she could have kicked herself for not seeing it before: Shelagh was in love. That was all there was to it. Simple, human, and wonderful love. All the torment, the agony and the doubt the poor girl had been through suddenly made sense. How? How had she not seen it? She got up slowly and flattened the creases in her habit with her hands.

She looked at the happy trio standing by the door and smiled. Her heart was lighter than it had been for many months. If it was for seeing Shelagh so obviously happy or for realising this meant the girl wasn't lost to Chichester, or anywhere else for that matter, she couldn't say. But as she met Shelagh's eyes she positively beamed at her and saw her wonderful and strong girl sigh with relief.

How selfish she felt as she saw Shelagh's eyes slowly fill with tears at her approval and remembered how she had told her never to change, to stay exactly where she was and go nowhere. She walked the few steps across the room and looked straight into Shelagh's by now tear-drenched face. Timothy was pulled away by his father and Shelagh walked straight into her arms. Sister Julienne allowed herself to be hugged and wrapped her arms around Shelagh's back.

Last time she had hugged her it had felt like a thorn was piercing her heart as she thought that was the last she saw of her. This was so different to that. Her heart swelled as she thought of the young nurse that had arrived so many years ago wanting to join their order and whom she had taken under her wing. She hadn't been Sister-in-Charge then and the head of their order, Mother Jesu Emmanuel had disapproved of her proximity and special allowances for the girl. They broke apart and Sister Julienne turned around as they heard a girlish giggle muffled by a cushion. Trixie was almost in hysterics and turning red. "Whatever's the matter?" Jenny whispered and nudged her side. "Tickety-boo", she gasped. "Tickety-boo". The faces around her looked concerned and Dr Turner came up to her, looking puzzled. Trixie looked at Dr Turner, pointed, and repeated, "tickety-boo" then had another fit of giggles. Finally the giggling subsided and she took some deep breaths.

"Will you tell us what that was all about, you silly girl?" came the harsh but concerned voice of Sister Evangelina. "I'm not the silly one!" Trixie said, pretending to be hurt. "They are!" she said gesturing at Dr Turner and Shelagh. "And why is that, if I may ask", said Sister Julienne, still standing next to Shelagh. "Because they have been behaving like lovesick teenagers! All hobbledehoy and 'oops, I dropped a spoon' and so on. I can't believe none of you noticed!" "Oh don't be silly, neither did you" Cynthia intervened when she saw the Doctor looking as though he wished he were swallowed by the earth. "None of us knew, surely. But we are all so very happy for you, aren't we?" Cynthia looked around at the confused faces around her, urging them to agree with her. Comments of "Yes, yes", "Of course we are", "How could we not be", came from around the room. "Thank you, Cynthia. That means a lot to us, truly" said Shelagh, realising Patrick was still incapable of formulating words of any kind. "Right then!" cried Trixie and jumped up from the sofa: "Even you, Sister Evangelina, have to agree that this calls for a party! An engagement party! Oh how exciting! And, em, Shelagh, was it?, can borrow one of your dresses Jenny, can't she? I think she'll look absolutely splendid in that green one of yours. And I'll do her hair". "Party, it's all you girls think about, my word. Will there be Sherry? And don't you think the happy couple should decide whether they want a party?" "Yes, I do, Sister Evangelina, but it seems the Happy Couple haven't heard a word I've said so I've decided for them. Honestly, you'd think they'd know each other's eyes by heart by now! We could do with a kiss though."

Shelagh turned her head and looked at Trixie. "Sorry? Did you say something" "Yes, I said we could do with a kiss!" "Oh, well, I…" "Oh leave them alone, Trixie. They're getting married, you don't have to go all Woman's Magazine on them", Cynthia said, sparing the couple the embarrassment. "Fine, but I'm arranging the party anyway!" "That sounds great Trixie, thank you." Shelagh smiled at Trixie and looked around the room, at the faces, now no longer shocked but smiling and happy for her. The Sisters and the nurses, all rejoicing in her happiness and well-being. This was her family. This was her home. She leaned her head onto Patrick's shoulder and he held her tight and kissed her head.

–The End


End file.
